Practice makes perfect advanced english reading and comprehension

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ® Advanced English Reading and Comprehension Also by Diane Engelhardt Practice Makes Perfect: Intermediate English Reading and Comprehension Perfect Phrases for ESL: Conversation Skills PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT® Advanced English Reading and Comprehension Diane Engelhardt New York Chicago San Francisco Athens London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education All rights reserved Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher ISBN: 978-0-07-179887-7 MHID: 0-07-179887-0 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-179886-0, MHID: 0-07-179886-2 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the beneit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps McGraw-Hill Education eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work Use of this work is subject to these terms Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill Education’s prior consent You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” McGRAW-HILL EDUCATION AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free Neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom McGraw-Hill Education has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill Education and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise Contents Preface vii Ecotourism: Another way to see the world The Human Genome Project: Writing the book of life Near-death experiences: Fact or fantasy? 14 29 Genetically modiied organisms: Breadbasket or Pandora’s box? 41 Men and women: Long live the difference Electric cars: Greener, cleaner driving 55 68 DNA ingerprinting: Condemning evidence 82 Eco-cities: Building sustainable urban communities Solar energy: Power for the future 10 Healing circles: A gentler justice 99 114 128 11 Medical technology: New frontiers in health care 12 The Enneagram: Understanding our personalities 13 Artiicial Intelligence: Can machines think? 157 174 14 Voluntary simplicity: Making more out of less 15 Future directions: Ecology or technology? 142 188 201 Answer key 215 v This page intentionally left blank Preface Practice Makes Perfect: Advanced English Reading and Comprehension contains 15 reading texts based on contemporary subjects he book is designed to: ◆ ◆ ◆ Build academic and nonacademic vocabulary Develop reading comprehension skills at an advanced level Stimulate creative thought on the subject matter and the problems that each topic poses to human society Each chapter is between 1,450 and 1,900 words long and contains the following sections: Pre-reading As an introduction to the topic, you can use the questionnaire provided to interview classmates, colleagues, family, and friends Column heads A, B, and C are provided for you to record the answers of each person you interview In a brief exercise, you will predict the content of the reading text Reading text Following the theme of “think about it,” the texts in this book cover a broad range of current topics having to with technology and human interest he reading text is followed by a short “Ater reading” exercise, in which you will conirm your predictions about the text Vocabulary Understanding and learning vocabulary can be a daunting task In addition to its academic and nonacademic vocabulary, each reading text contains many other useful words and phrases that may be new to you Because not every new word can be included in a vocabulary list or exercise, I encourage you to use an English language dictionary and to keep an independent vocabulary journal to record new words that are not included in the vocabulary exercises he vocabulary exercises are broken down as follows: ◆ Thematic vocabulary In this exercise, you will write down 10 words or phrases that relate to the subject matter of the reading text ◆ Academic vocabulary Each chapter focuses on 20 academic words (in boldface type) and 10 nonacademic words (in boldface italic type) he academic vocabulary comes from the Academic Word List (AWL) developed at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand he AWL contains the 570 word families that students need to know how to use when studying at the university level Here’s an example: theory (n.), theoretical (adj.), theorize (v.): a set of ideas intended to explain something vii In the academic word exercises, you will be required to write down the noun, verb, or adjective form of each word and its dictionary deinition In other exercises, you will write down the part of speech and a dictionary deinition ◆ Using vocabulary You will complete each sentence of these exercises with the correct word, or form of the word, from the academic word list ◆ Nonacademic vocabulary You will identify each word’s part of speech and match the word with its dictionary deinition or with a synonym Reading comprehension his section tests your comprehension of the text under the following headings: ◆ Reading for main ideas ◆ Reading for details ◆ Reading for interpretation and inference Reading strategies In this section, you will practice various techniques that will help you process what you have read and enable you to take notes, paraphrase, organize information, and summarize a reading text Critical thinking It is important not only to understand what you read but also to engage in critical thinking, that is, to evaluate information in the reading text and relate it to other issues An answer key is provided at the end of the book If speciic answers cannot be provided for some exercises, suggested answers are given where possible ◆ ◆ ◆ Reading is a great source of knowledge, but—more than providing facts, igures, and a wealth of information—reading can broaden our minds and make us relect on issues that afect our lives and our future he reading texts in this book were written not only for your skill development, but also for your pleasure Read them and share your thoughts! Acknowledgments I thank my editor, Holly McGuire, for the opportunity to write this book, and my husband, Erich, for his considerable support viii Preface PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ® Advanced English Reading and Comprehension 8·9 8·10 230 Suggested answers: Principle 2: Build communities that harmonize with the environment Principle 3: Develop the area in accordance with natural conditions Principle 4: Build cities that take up less space and use public transportation Principle 5: Save energy and integrate conservation technology into building Principle 6: Support the local economy Principle 7: Create a safe, healthy community Principle 8: Get local people involved in decisions Principle 9: Encourage citizen participation and democracy Principle 10: Support cultural diversity X X ✓ ✓ X 10 X ✓ ✓ X ✓ 8·11 Answers will vary Solar energy: Power for the future 9·1 Suggested answers: power, terawatt, watt, sunlight, infrared radiation, heat, oil, coal, natural gas, heating, lighting, fossil fuels, combustion, generate, gasoline, electricity, electrical current, power grid, steam, turbine, electrical generator, water heater, power plant, thermal 9·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions conj 11 n adj 12 n n 13 adj n 14 adj v 15 v v 16 v n 17 v n 18 n adj 19 n 10 v 20 adj 9·3 subsidies ofset capacity incentive alternative 10 output albeit source policy principal 9·4 constitutes distribution intense recovery Reined 10 vary equivalent prohibits concentrated promote 9·5 d (n.) h (n.) f (n.) j (v.) i (v.) 10 a (v.) c (v.) g (adj.) b (adj.) e (v.) Answer key 9·6 Suggested answers: he sun is the most plentiful source of energy, and all life on Earth depends on sunlight Increasing consumption of fossil fuels results in their depletion and in pollution and global warming Passive solar energy occurs when sunlight passes through windows or is absorbed by walls; it can be used for lighting and heating PV solar technology uses solar cells, containing silicon, to convert sunlight into energy; it produces electricity on a small or large scale CSP concentrates the sun’s radiation, using mirrors or collectors, to heat water or gas and drive a turbine or generator; it is used to produce large amounts of electricity for power grids Smaller collectors heat water he principal issues are the supply of fuel, the impact on the environment, costs, energy payback, and long-term energy savings Solar energy has been more popular in Europe, Japan, and remote areas; it has not been popular in the United States, where the oil industry has a large inluence on energy policy Because of global warming and consumer consciousness, the demand for solar energy is expected to grow signiicantly in the future 9·7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9·8 c b c b a c F T T T F F a PS b PS c CSP d PV, CSP e PV f PS, PV, CSP g PV he main components of sunlight are visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared radiation Solar energy doesn’t produce CO2 or pollution he 1973–74 OPEC oil embargo increased interest in solar energy in the United States he rising demand for solar energy in the United States is due to an increasing awareness of global warming, consumer demand, and government tax incentives ✓ X X ✓ X 10 ✓ ✓ ✓ X X 9·9 Suggested answers: Historically, people have honored the sun as an emblem of vigor and vitality Companies process 50 million barrels of oil into gasoline and other fuels daily Architects are integrating passive solar energy into environmental construction plans Sunlight dislocates electrons as it contacts the surface of a PV cell and releases electrical energy We oten see PV panels on the walls and roofs of buildings Manufacturers construct solar arrays from smaller sections Homeowners get their money back in the energy they conserve within two to three decades Lower energy usage and the integration of conservation measures in residences achieve an earlier payback on initial outlay Engineers Bridgers and Paxton constructed the world’s irst commercial solar building in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1956 10 Petroleum companies have a major impact on government energy decisions 9·10 9·11 Answers will vary Answers will vary Answer key 231 232 10 Healing circles: A gentler justice 10·1 Suggested answers: conlict, vandalism, rioting, thet, robbery, hate crimes, drive-by shootings, gang warfare, drunk driving, road rage, mass killing, sexual assault, ofenses, violence, police, laws, sentencing, court cases, arrested, sentence, prosecution, defense, plaintif, accused, justice oicials, judge, ofender, victim 10·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions v 11 v adj 12 n v 13 n n 14 n n 15 v v 16 v n 17 v n 18 n n 19 n 10 n 20 adj 10·3 10 10·4 10·5 outcome assigning conlict, resolved convene guidelines consensus monitors refocus cycle objective 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 appropriate response philosophy reinforced adapt transition facilitator features ultimate e (adj.) a (n.) g (v.) f (adj.) h (v.) 10 j (n.) c (v.) d (n.) b (v.) i (n.) aboriginal, nonconfrontational the community, equally, peacemaking facilitator, does not take formally, four, encourage that everyone respects and listens to the speaker consensus time, commitment, an open heart more likely, both victim and ofender internationally Answer key 10·6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 10·7 c a a c b c F T F F T T In stage 1, the request for a healing circle is made In stage 2, participants are informed, prepared, and trained In stage 3, the circle is convened and there is dialogue and resolution In stage 4, progress is monitored and mistakes are corrected he facilitator opens the circle; establishes the circle as a sacred place; ensures that participants follow guidelines, maintain respect, and feel safe; and steers the process toward an outcome he talking piece is an object of symbolic value It is passed clockwise from person to person he person holding it may speak or remain silent he members of the healing circle must respect and listen to the person in possession of the talking piece he metastudy’s conclusion was that victims were able to carry on a normal life again, ofenders didn’t commit their crimes again or harass their victims, and the community felt safer A consensus decision is one in which everyone arrives at the decision collectively and agrees to it When everyone contributes to the decision and has a vested interest, it is more likely to succeed a b b a b a b b 10·8 Suggested answers: In North America, aboriginal healing, talking, and peacemaking circles heal communities and restore harmony Members have the same chance to express themselves directly in a respectful exchange People can modify (or tailor) healing circles to personal, educational, occupational, and various institutional situations Members receive background information, orientation, and instruction Healing circles foster storytelling Stories open people’s hearts sooner and more efectively than forced recommendations or decisions from external sources People come to mutual decisions by discussing problems and solutions instead of trying to convince each other through formal argument he 1996 Mille Lacs Circle Sentencing Project introduced the irst healing circle in Minnesota 10·9 10·10 Answers will vary 10·11 Answers will vary 10 11 12 13 14 15 Circle of understanding Support circle Sentencing circle Talking circle Community-building circle Conlict circle Reintegration circle Healing circle Community-building circle Sentencing circle Celebration circle Support circle Circle of understanding Healing circle Conlict circle Answer key 233 11 Medical technology: New frontiers in health care 11·1 Suggested answers: stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, blood pressure, physical examination, X-rays, blood and urine tests, general practitioners, diagnose, treat, clinics, hospitals, patient, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, tumors, biopsy, surgery, intensive care unit, physician, radiology, diabetes, glucose management, cholesterol levels, health care, surgeon, cancer, surgical instruments, nurses, nursing assistants, bandages, autoimmune disease 11·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions expansive, expand instructive/instructional, instruct interventional, intervene procedural, proceed visual, visualize virtuality, virtualize accumulation, accumulative efect, efective, efect extraction 10 append 11 network 12 display 13 equip 14 aid 15 conference 16 ile 17 — 18 inevitability 19 radical 20 practice 11·3 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11·4 11·5 234 instructions accumulating equipment intervention procedure Visualization, technique virtual display afect iles appendages practitioner network aid conferred inevitable radical extracted expansion d (n.) i (v.) g (n.) h (adj.) a (adj.) Paragraph 2: Paragraph 3: Paragraph 4: Paragraph 5: Paragraph 6: Answer key 10 k c j h a j (n.) c (v.) e (adj.) f (n.) b (v.) Paragraph 7: i Paragraph 8: g Paragraph 9: b Paragraph 10: f Paragraph 11: d 11·6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 11·7 a b b c b a T T F F F T Medical records are increasing in volume and complexity When they are computerized, they are easier to store and access; cannot get easily lost; and can be easily copied, stored, and archived Surgeons can perform delicate surgical procedures with increased accuracy Robotic appendages can eliminate tremor Robotic appendages cannot feel the tissue they are operating on People who are bedridden or housebound not have to leave home to receive care, and they can monitor their own treatment by using sotware, troubleshooting wizards, and user-friendly medical websites Stem cells can be collected only from unused or cloned embryos Some people believe that these embryos are living beings, while others question how stem cells will be used b a b a a b b a 11·8 Suggested answers: In addition to basic instruments to examine patients, the doctor uses her expert hands to discover internal irregularities in her patients Doctors continue to use traditional instruments and methods; however, technology is signiicantly changing how they determine the cause of sickness and appropriate therapies Although robotic appendages have no tactile sensation, technicians are in the process of enhancing their sensory capacities Despite signiicant technical challenges, nanotechnology seems to ofer the hope of boundless possibilities in the ield of cancer diagnosis and therapy Understandably, it will take considerable time because of expensive construction costs and a long time frame here is no end to the potential uses of stem cells, due to their ability to locate diseased areas of the body and to keep indeinitely when frozen Specialists can oversee their patients and carry on a dialogue from remote locations, as well as keep in touch to discuss urgent cases In addition to facilitating the delivery of medical care in hospitals, computer networks shorten the travel time and distance for critical data exchange Laparoscopic surgery lessens a patient’s sufering ater a procedure; it also decreases the potential side efects of surgery 10 In addition to inancing research on embryos generated prior to 2001, the U.S government believes in the essential value of stem cell research 11·9 11·10 Answers will vary Answers will vary Answer key 235 236 12 The Enneagram: Understanding our personalities 12·1 Suggested answers: Positive traits: organized, thorough, principled, purposeful, patient, heroic, warm-hearted, generous, empathetic, thoughtful, caring, self-assurance, charm, energy, optimism, adaptability, inspiring, creative, sensitive, independent, innovative, inventive, self-reliant, perceptive, reliable, resourceful, optimistic, enthusiastic, productive, committed, strong, compassionate, attentive, trustworthy Negative traits: rigid, judgmental, highly critical, manipulative, seductive, possessive, moody, dramatic, miserly, detached, paranoid, cowardly, impulsive, narcissistic 12·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions adj 11 v n 12 adj n 13 n v 14 n n 15 n adj 16 n v 17 n v 18 n adj 19 n 10 n 20 n 12·3 status comprehensive, aspects comprised psychology factor adjacent approach inherent circumstances 12·4 attain illustrations isolated heoretically distinction 10 optional predict pursuits credited mediator 12·5 h (n.) e (n.) b (n.) j (n.) g (n.) 10 i (v.) c (n.) a (v.) f (v.) d (n.) 12·6 a a a a a Answer key M SD M SD SD b b b b b SD M SD M M 12·7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 12·8 12·9 12·10 c a b c a c T F T T F T Intuitive information can be belly-based, or physical; feeling-based, or emotional; or head-based, or mental A Four will behave like a Two under stress A Seven will behave like a Five in a situation where he or she feels secure he Enneagram system’s purpose is to ind our true selves through understanding our passions and preoccupations, and to develop meaningful relationships (1) d (2) f (3) h (4) c (5) a (6) i (7) e (8) b (9) g d e h c a i b g f Suggested answers: he Enneagram uniquely symbolizes human consciousness he principal feature of each distinct type can become a neurotic habit or an ally in achieving self-knowledge Every type has two complementary, neighboring wings Ones object to rule-breakers Unguarded Eights can be giving, dedicated, and self-assured, and lead toward appropriate action Evolved, focused Nines listen carefully, soothe, and guide others he oldest theory of personality can be credited to the Roman surgeon Galen of Pergamon An ancient system rooted in Sui mysticism, the Enneagram (Greek ennea for “nine” and grammos for “point”) identiies nine major aspects of being Minimalists by nature, Fives not require wealth or material possessions, but they are as attached to their intellectual pursuits as a miser who counts his gold in secret Born peacemakers, Nines can support and sympathize with all points of view Answer key 237 238 12·11 Type One: he Perfectionist/Reformer Chief feature: Resentment Passion: Anger Virtue: Serenity Positive traits: Organized, thorough, principled, purposeful, patient, heroic Negative traits: Rigid, judgmental, highly critical Type Two: he Giver/Helper Chief feature: Flattery Passion: Pride Virtue: Humility Positive traits: Warm-hearted, generous, empathetic, thoughtful, genuinely caring Negative traits: Manipulative, seductive, possessive Type hree: he Performer/Achiever Chief feature: Vanity Passion: Deceit Virtue: Honesty Positive traits: Self-assured, charming, energetic, optimistic, adaptable, inspiring Negative traits: Vain, preoccupied with image, dishonest, deceptive Type Four: he Romantic/Individualist Chief feature: Melancholy Passion: Envy Virtue: Equanimity (balance) Positive traits: Creative, sensitive, emotionally deep Negative traits: Moody, dramatic Type Five: he Observer/Investigator Chief feature: Stinginess Passion: Avarice Virtue: Detachment Positive traits: Independent, innovative, inventive, self-reliant, perceptive Negative traits: Private, fearful Type Six: he Loyal Skeptic/Loyalist Chief feature: Cowardice Passion: Fear Virtue: Courage Positive traits: Reliable, resourceful, responsible Negative traits: Suspicious, paranoid Type Seven: he Epicure/Enthusiast Chief feature: Planning Passion: Gluttony Virtue: Sobriety Positive traits: Light-hearted, eternally optimistic, enthusiastic, adventurous, energetic Negative traits: Distracted, impulsive, narcissistic Type Eight: he Boss/Challenger Chief feature: Excess Passion: Lust Virtue: Innocence Positive traits: Generous, committed, self-conident, strong leader Negative traits: Aggressive, assertive, controlling, impulsive, excessive Type Nine: he Mediator/Peacemaker Chief feature: Indolence Passion: Sloth Virtue: Action Positive traits: Attentive, compassionate, trustworthy Negative traits: Distracted, avoiding, lazy 12·12 12·13 Answers will vary Answers will vary Answer key 13 Artiicial Intelligence: Can machines think? 13·1 Suggested answers: gadget, electronic system, hand plow, wheel, Industrial Revolution, carts, train, automobile, telephone, radio, television, computer, mechanical, inventors, robot, toys, technology, circuits, device, hydraulically powered arm, assembly lines, industrial environment, mass production, components, valves 13·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions access, accessible adjustment, adjustable automation, automatic collapse, collapsible computation/computer, computational construction, constructive involvement transformation, transformative laborious, labor 10 approximation, approximate 11 conception, conceive 12 mechanics/mechanization, mechanize 13 assessment 14 assumption 15 enablement 16 exhibit/exhibition 17 component 18 logical 19 eventuality 20 survey 13·3 10 13·4 enable automated component involves conceivable assume eventually exhibit mechanical assessed 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 survey labor logic collapse transformed approximately compute access adjust constructed h (n.) d (adj.) j (adj.) a (v.) f (adj.) 10 b (v.) i (v.) g (v.) c (adj.) e (v.) Answer key 239 13·5 Paragraph 2: he invention of machines and their widespread adoption have transformed human society Paragraph 3: Technological progress that had been thousands of years in the making accelerated rapidly with the advent of the electronic computer in 1941 Paragraph 4: he idea of mechanical men has fascinated thinkers and inventors for centuries Paragraph 5: In the meantime, with cheaper, faster computer technology at their disposal, scientists could take up the quest for autonomous machines that philosophers and mathematicians could only imagine a century earlier Paragraph 6: In the late 1960s, microprocessors radically reduced the size of computers, making it possible to build mobile robots with an onboard “brain” linked to a mainframe computer Paragraph 7: Real progress with robots was made in the ield of manufacturing Paragraph 8: Remote-controlled robots are also indispensable in space and underwater exploration, military reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue operations Paragraph 9: From manufacturing and exploration, robots have begun making their way into our personal lives Paragraph 10: Despite the amazing accomplishments in robotics, the ultimate goal still remains the creation of an independently thinking humanoid robot—in other words, a machine made in man’s image Paragraph 11: Although research into humanoid robots has exploded around the world, the inal product is far from reach Paragraph 12: While it is possible to construct a robot with a human form and one that can even communicate and mimic our behavior, the creation of a truly sentient, intelligent, and autonomous machine is another story Paragraph 13: Although this may be possible in principle, the value of living forever inside a machine seems questionable, if not ridiculous 13·6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 13·7 240 Answer key b b c a c a T F T F F T Robot comes from the Czech word robota; it was used in a play about a mad scientist who created artiicial men Microprocessors made it possible to build robots with an onboard brain Robots eliminate human error, reduce manufacturing costs, perform monotonous jobs with precision, work around the clock, and speed up production Robots are used in space and underwater exploration, military reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue missions hey are used to investigate volcanoes, to adjust valves on underwater pipelines, to defuse bombs and clear mine ields, to assess damage ater a nuclear accident, and to ind people trapped in collapsed buildings or mines Robots can’t see or maintain balance, reproduce, feel emotions and empathize, survive by their instincts, understand the consequences of their actions, or operate with purpose or understanding − − − + − − − + 13·8 Suggested answers: he invention of the steam engine—and later, the train, automobile, telephone, radio, and television— revolutionized the economy, human society, and long-distance communication Early attempts at creating mechanical creatures became museum exhibits Alan Turing and John McCarthy were responsible for opening up research into Artiicial Intelligence ater World War II A British neurophysiologist built the irst mobile robots that could react to light and sound stimuli, and later to whistles in a conditioned response SAIL researchers pioneered the development of a robotic vehicle for space exploration Despite their attempts to achieve automatic performance, it could operate only under controlled conditions Developed mostly in Japan, PUMA robots became commonplace in mass production, where they carried out dangerous, high-precision, and routine tasks on an around-the-clock basis A Japanese professor developed the irst walking, talking, and piano-playing robots Later, Honda built a small humanoid robot to perform basic, but limited, humanlike functions in amusement parks Obstacles to creating an intelligent, autonomous robot include overcoming a lack of balance, coordination, and natural movement, as well as constructing an independently functioning brain with suicient capacity to process and store information like humans 13·9 13·10 Answers will vary 14 Voluntary simplicity: Making more out of less 14·1 Suggested answers: happiness, life, liberty, money, fame, power, family, relationships, work, adventure, creative, peace of mind, simplicity, aluence, well-being, consumerism, lifestyle, counterculture, nature, priorities, community, fashion 14·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions equation, equal publication/publishing release utility/utilization index stressful, stress error, err individuality, individual, individualize accompaniment 10 conformity 11 denotation 12 rejection/reject 13 — 14 bond 15 prioritize 16 formulaic 17 major 18 compatibility 19 — 20 — 14·3 10 Answers will vary stress Index utilize bond conform majority accompanied erroneous published straightforward 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 denote welfare equate priorities individual formula seeking rejected release compatible Answer key 241 14·4 grateful (adj.) balance (v.) fulillment (n.) ranks (v.) budget (n.) 14·5 Happiness, isn’t are not lowest North America reduce diferentiates between philosophy, individual circumstances 14·6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 14·7 14·8 14·9 14·10 242 aluent (adj.) clutter (n.) foster (v.) frugally (adv.) durable (adj.) c b b a a c F T F F T T Voluntary simplicity means choosing freely and consciously to change one’s life in a spiritual sense by getting rid of anything that controls one’s life and takes away from what is really important for happiness and well-being “Wants” are what we desire, and “needs” are absolute necessities for survival and well-being he Happy Planet Index measures longevity, experienced well-being, and a country’s ecological footprint he goals of the voluntary simplicity movement are to reduce consumption patterns and to minimize our personal impact on the environment Pressures from advertising, society, the media, family, and friends make it diicult for people to cut back on accumulating stuf e c h f Answers will vary Answers will vary Answers will vary Answer key 10 a g d b 15 Future directions: Ecology or technology? 15·1 Suggested answers: tragedy, collapse, dire, disaster, scare stories, overshoot, decimate, bubble, burst, crash, overlowing, trajectory 15·2 Consult a dictionary for definitions v 11 v v 12 n v 13 n n 14 adj n 15 v v 16 n adj 17 v adj 18 adj n 19 n 10 n 20 adj 15·3 10 crucial conirmed input Coupled acknowledged rationality uniformity ideology model underlying 15·4 10 trajectory (n.) exponentially (adv.) urgent (adj.) imminent (adj.) dire (adj.) provoke (v.) inlate (v.) forefront (n.) increments (n.) disseminate (v.) 15·5 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 persistent notion intervened core explicit constraints simulate poses Unrestrained commissioned Both warn us that humanity is on a path that could lead to disaster hey used a computer model and fed data on population, food production, industrial production, pollution, and consumption of natural nonrenewable resources into a computer model that analyzed how the data interacted and came up with 12 projected scenarios On that basis, they predicted that if humanity did not make signiicant changes, it would exhaust the planet’s limits and face ecological collapse he political and business community tried to discredit the indings, because they were contrary to their notions of growth and proit, while others, including President Jimmy Carter, welcomed and supported the book he Limits to Growth became an international best-seller, and although it has been updated twice, its conclusions remain unchanged he exponential growth of population and the material economy could exhaust the planet’s limited resources, increase pollution beyond tolerable levels, and exceed the planet’s carrying capacity, which would result in overshoot If no one pays attention or begins to act in time, overshoot could cause collapse Sustainability can prevent overshoot if humanity manages the consumption of nonrenewable resources, replaces them with renewable resources, and reduces pollution so that everyone will have enough to live on and future generations will be able to meet their needs People can use technology to make changes, but most importantly they have to change their values and the way they think about growth and the environment Answer key 243 244 15·6 10 11 12 13 14 15 15·7 c b c a a b F T F F T T Exponential growth occurs when an entity doubles in number, then rapidly redoubles Overshoot occurs when an activity exceeds its physical limits Sustainability occurs when the needs of the present generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs 16 To achieve sustainability, renewable resources cannot be used at a greater rate than they can be produced, nonrenewable resources cannot be consumed at a greater rate than they can be replaced by renewable resources, and pollution cannot be produced at a greater rate than the Earth can absorb or detoxify it 17 he ive factors were population, food production, industrial production, pollution, and consumption of nonrenewable natural resources cannot went against popular beliefs for humanitarian reasons unpopular they could go on doing the same things forever it takes fewer women giving birth to keep the population growing beliefs wisely 15·8 15·9 Answers will vary 15·10 Answers will vary Answer key X X ✓ X ✓ 10 ✓ X ✓ ✓ X .. .PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ® Advanced English Reading and Comprehension Also by Diane Engelhardt Practice Makes Perfect: Intermediate English Reading and Comprehension Perfect Phrases... GDP For small Caribbean and Paciic islands, tourism can account for as much 40 percent of GDP practice makes perfect Advanced English Reading and Comprehension Smaller and poorer countries depend... is counting on them practice makes perfect Advanced English Reading and Comprehension After reading In the Pre -reading section, check to see if your predictions about the reading text were correct